AN: Okay, so I have seen the series and I know that the history of the jewel is going to be a little off here, but come on, it's my story and I don't really care so please don't hate me! I have a feel it will all work out and besides, who wants everything to be the exact same? Not me! That's the beauty of creativity people. Please enjoy this chapter and always read and review!
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"The Jewel of Four Souls…" muttered Kaede.
"It came from inside of Kagome!" exclaimed Shippou.
"That came from inside of me?" Kagome managed to squeak out.
In the midst of their befuddlement and awe, none of the group saw the small crow as it dropped down right in front of them before it was too late. It picked up the jewel in its mouth and was gone again before they could do anything.
"Hey! Get back here!" cried Inuyasha as he tried to grab the bird. The bird gracefully flew off. "Damn it!" cried Inuyasha angrily. They had to get that jewel back before that stupid crow dropped it right into Naraku's waiting hands. An idea formed in his head.
Inuyasha quickly grabbed the bow and quiver full of arrows and shoved in into Kagome's hands. He then picked her up and placed her on his back.
"What are you doing?" as Kagome. Her body ached all over and she wasn't in the mood for a piggyback ride.
"Just shut up and hold on tight!" growled Inuyasha as he took off into the air with a mighty leap.
Kagome gasped as she held tightly onto his shoulders. She blushed when they took off; the thought of her riding on his back was almost too much for her to bear. They were soaring, landing, and then jumping from building to building. It was so surreal to her; the feel of the wind whipping her hair behind her back, the way that her heart fell into her stomach with each sensation. She almost missed what Inuyasha was saying,
"There he is! Now do you see the jewel?"
Kagome looked into the sky and saw the crow flying in front of them. She frowned, "How can I see the jewel when that stupid bird swallowed it!"
"Focus, stupid, the jewel was inside of you! You have the ability to see where it is, so just focus really hard! We have to get it back before it falls into the wrong hands!"
Kagome nodded and tried to focus on the bird. She stared long and hard, but saw nothing. This is great, what am I supposed to do? She thought to herself. There has to be a way, come on Kagome, you can do this! She closed her eyes and visualized the small object in her mind and took in a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, she saw a faint glow coming from the crow's stomach.
"There, in its stomach!" she cried triumphantly. She could see the glow of the jewel in the night sky.
"Are you sure?" asked Inuyasha.
"Positive," nodded Kagome.
"Good, now shoot the damn thing with your bow and arrow. Aim directly for the jewel," he shouted.
"What!" Kagome cried. How was she supposed to shoot the jewel? She had just learned to shoot the other day and she was lucky if she could hit a stationary target, let alone a moving one.
"I can't do it," she shook her head. "I'll miss!"
Inuyasha felt his frustration growing. "Look, Kikyo was a trained expert with the bow. She could hit her target with a single shot!"
"But I'm not Kikyo! I am Kagome; how many times do I have to tell you guys that?"
Inuyasha growled slightly. They were going to get nowhere if they didn't act soon. He was running as fast as he could, but with the jewel inside of the crow, it had gained speed and would not tire anytime soon. "Just focus!" shouted Inuyasha.
"Fine!" said an annoyed Kagome. She took the bow and carefully placed an arrow. She took aim at the glowing object in front of her. She closed her eyes. Kaede's words rang through her head: focus, focus…focus. Kagome opened her eyes and sent the arrow flying with all the emotion and power she could muster from her already weakened state.
Inuyasha watched as Kagome's arrow shined with a brilliant light. It soared towards it target and struck it, dead on. They heard the crow let out a mighty cry. A brilliant light burst forth and Inuyasha stopped running and stood on the top of a building. He and Kagome shielded their eyes and watched as, what looked like, hundreds of light fragments scattered in all directions; one of them landing daintily at their feet. Kagome jumped off of Inuyasha's back and stared in wonder. What had she just done? The light faded. Inuyasha knelt down to pick of a tiny fragment that lay in front of them.
"What is it?" asked Kagome.
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and glared at her. "I told you to shoot the jewel, not shatter it!"
"I shattered the jewel?" asked Kagome in dismay.
"Yes, into hundreds of pieces!" he growled angrily.
Kagome glared at him, "Why are you mad at me? You told me to aim for the jewel. How was I supposed to know it would break?"
"This is bad," muttered Inuyasha as if he never heard her. He was pacing the top of the building, thinking furiously. Those jewel shards could be anywhere and it they fell into the wrong hands…
"Inuyasha," said Kagome.
"Shut up, you've done enough already! Let's get back to the others. We need a plan."
Kagome nodded and climbed back onto his back. The pain in her side was beginning to ache again, but it did not bother her as much as the fact that Inuyasha blamed her for everything. What had she gotten herself into?
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Kagome was resting on a soft bed. She cringed slightly as Sango and Kaede tended to the wound on her side. She was so tired. So much had just happened to her in the last couple of hours she didn't even know where to begin.
"That should do it!" said Kaede. "You are lucky the wound was not too deep." The old woman smiled and left the room.
"Thank you," muttered Kagome as she sat up and pulled top part of her cheerleading uniform back on. It was hard for her to not feel modest in front of people she was still so new to.
Suddenly, a small cat jumped onto the bed next to her. It purred softly as it nuzzled against Kagome's body and mewed at Sango. Kagome gasped however when she realized the cat had not one, but two tails.
"Kirara seems to like you," Sango smiled.
Kagome stared at the unusual pet. Its body was white while its paw remained black. She found herself staring into two adorable red eyes that blinked at her curiously. Kagome smiled as the demon cat mewed again.
"Here Kagome," said Sango softly. She handed the injured girl a cup of tea. "My father brews this especially when someone gets injured. The herbs in it help the healing process go much faster."
Kagome nodded and drank the soothing warm liquid. It traveled down her throat into her stomach and gave her a fuzzy, pleasant feeling. After she had taken another sip, she set the cup down and surveyed her surroundings. She was at Sango's house. The group had decided to go there to treat Kagome's injury. Apparently Sango's father had many remedies for such things. When the man had greeted his daughter and her companions at the door, he had not asked any questions as to how Kagome had come across her injury. In fact, he seemed to know exactly what to do.
"Sango," said Kagome quietly, "does you father know how I got injured?"
"Yes," replied the girl. "My father is an expert in the matter. You see, Kagome, my family comes from a long line of demon slayers. It is our profession, and our expertise. My father is very knowledgeable about the subject of demons and that is why he asks no questions."
"But, what about Inuyasha, isn't he a demon?"
Sango smiled, "Not all demons are evil, Kagome. Kirara is a demon, but as you can see, she bears no ill will against you." Sango smiled as the cat came to nuzzle against her. "Yes, Inuyasha has demon blood running through his veins, but he still has a human heart and soul. Inuyasha is a half-demon. His father was a powerful dog demon, and his mother was human. It is not uncommon to hear of a demon and a human falling in love, but it is still rare; especially for someone as powerful as his father was."
"Was?" replied Kagome.
"Yes," smiled Sango sadly. "Inuyasha's father died many years ago. Inuyasha does not remember him at all. His mother died when Inuyasha was ten…many people say it was from a broken heart, and I wouldn't disbelieve it."
Kagome's eyes went wide with surprise. "Doesn't he have any family at all?"
Sango nodded, "He has an older brother, Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru is also a very powerful dog demon, like their father before them. But, he and Inuyasha do not get along at all. They do not see eye-to-eye. You see, Sesshomaru despises Inuyasha for being half- human. In his eyes, Inuyasha is weak. He would never acknowledge Inuyasha as his true brother, unless Inuyasha were to become a full fledged demon."
"How sad," said Kagome, "to be all alone in this world because your brother will not accept you for whom you are? Does Inuyasha want to become a full fledge demon?"
"At one time he did," Sango replied quietly. "That is how we first came to meet each other. He was after the Shikon Jewel. You see, Kagome, the jewel can grant any wish, and at the time, Inuyasha's desire was to become a full fledged demon like his father and brother. My family was charged with the protection of the Shikon Jewel for many centuries. When we learned just how dangerous the jewel was, we gave it to a young priestess with enough spiritual power to keep the jewel purified. That priestess was Kikyo. Kikyo was young, but wise beyond her years. She was a skilled fighter, deadly with the bow. The jewel was in her possession when Inuyasha first tried to take it. However, Kikyo defeated Inuyasha," Sango paused. "I think he was baffled at first," said Sango smiling sweetly, "why he had lost to a girl. But, soon things began to change. He would follow Kikyo around constantly trying to get to the jewel, but every time he attempted to take it she defeated him. It became sort of a game for them. Until one day, when Inuyasha saved Kikyo from being attacked by a centipede demon. It caught them both off guard… him saving her that is. But they soon developed a strong friendship from then on out. Instead of trying to take the jewel, Inuyasha began to protect it or more like he was protecting Kikyo."
"He fell in love with her," Kagome said softly.
"Yes," said Sango. "He fell in love with her. And in the time they spent together, he learned about the true nature of the Shikon Jewel and just how powerful it really was. He lost his desire to become a full fledged demon."
"So, what happened to Kikyo? I know that she died several years ago, but how did it happen?"
Sango grew quiet for a moment and her face grew very dark. Finally she spoke, "Kikyo was a free spirit. She was had a kind, caring soul, but it was ultimately her downfall. There was a man named Onigumo. He was a half demon, several years older than us, handsome, wealthy, and powerful. He became fascinated with Kikyo when he discovered that she was the guardian of the Shikon Jewel. Like all demons, he was drawn to its power and soon desired to have it as his own. Unlike Inuyasha, his heart was dark. But he would not stop there. He wanted Kikyo as well. She was young, beautiful, and strong. Onigumo wanted her and would go to any lengths to get her. So, he began to hatch out his plan. He knew of Inuyasha and Kikyo's relationship, and decided to turn the two of them against one another. He placed a spell on Kikyo, one that would make her fall in love with him. He began to court Kikyo quietly, wooing her and praising her with little gifts. He became her friend and confidante. Inuyasha saw the two of them become close to each other, and sensing something amiss, tried to warn Kikyo about Onigumo. Kikyo, however, took it as Inuyasha's jealous nature and ignored his warnings. That was when things went from bad to worse."
"What happened?" asked Kagome. "Couldn't Kikyo sense Onigumo's evil intentions?"
"The spell Onigumo placed on her was strong, she fell in love with him," Sango replied. "If you would have seen Onigumo, you would have to agree he was the most charming and handsome man in the world. One would never think such horrible things of him." Sango paused before she continued, "Anyways, Inuyasha confronted Onigumo one night and the two of them fought. Inuyasha injured Onigumo severely, and when Kikyo finally came upon them, she grew angry at Inuyasha for hurting Onigumo. That was when she made her choice. The spell on her was complete, Onigumo had won. Inuyasha left her and sank back in defeat, leaving her to do as she would."
"How terrible," Kagome muttered.
Sango nodded, "He was heartbroken and betrayed, but he never let his feelings show to others. He despised Kikyo and vowed to never help her again. That is until Onigumo betrayed all of us. Despite the fact that he had Kikyo, he still did not have the Shikon Jewel. Kikyo was too powerful of a guardian, even for him. So he made a pact. Because he was only a half demon, Onigumo needed to become more powerful in order to even obtain the Shikon Jewel. He made a deadly pact with over a hundred demons. He asked the demons to feast upon his flesh so that he would become more powerful. What he didn't plan on was them consuming his soul as well. Any love or emotion he felt toward Kikyo was destroyed and his new demonic nature wanted nothing more than the power of the Shikon Jewel. Thus, Naraku was created. He betrayed Kikyo the next time she saw him, wounding her fatally. She managed to protect the jewel however and dragged her battered body to Inuyasha. She died in his arms, but not before telling him she realized how grave her mistake was for leaving him. She died in his arms, and Lady Kaede burned the Shikon Jewel with Kikyo's body after she was laid to rest."
"Not exactly a happy ending," Kagome said. "How horrible for Kikyo and Inuyasha, and they were both so young…"
"It was a tragedy," said Sango. "At the time, Miroku and I knew Inuyasha, but there was nothing we could do for him. He was heartbroken, and still felt betrayed despite Kikyo's last words."
"I can understand why," agreed Kagome.
"Yes," said Sango. "But time has passed and we have all managed to move on. But the real mystery right now is how the jewel ended up inside of you, Kagome."
"I'm afraid even I don't have an answer for that," the girl responded. "I wish I could tell you. I had no knowledge of any of this until several days ago."
"I'm sure all will reveal itself in time," said Sango.
"Sango, what about Shippou is he a half-demon as well?"
Sango smiled, "Shippou is a full fledged fox demon. He is still very young and Lady Kaede took him in when his parents were both killed."
"And Miroku, what happens with his hand?"
Sango's eyes grew sad. "Miroku's hand holds what is called the wind tunnel. It is actually a curse passed down from generation to generation, in his family. He inherited it from his father. For many centuries, Miroku's family has had to deal with this burden as long as the Shikon Jewel remains intact. You see, one of his ancestors came upon the jewel and made a wish upon it, what exactly the wish was I am not sure, but his intentions were not honorable. His wish was granted, but at the expense that he and his family would be cursed for generations to come with the wind tunnel. It will eventually be Miroku's death, as it was his father's, unless there is some way to destroy the jewel."
"Miroku's father died?" asked Kagome.
"Yes," said Sango, "when he was very young. Miroku saw it happen. His father lost control and was sucked into his own wind tunnel while trying to protect his family from a demonic attack."
"That's horrible!"
"Life is not easy, Kagome," said Sango solemnly, "but I will stand beside Inuyasha and Miroku. Together, we have vowed to destroy Naraku. As a demon slayer, it is my duty and the duty of my family." She bowed her head.
Kagome nodded in understanding. "I guess I really complicated things by shattering the jewel…"
Sango put a reassuring hand on Kagome's shoulder, "It will be fine, Kagome, we'll find a way."
"Sango, Kagome," said Miroku as he poked his head into the room, "Lady Kaede wishes to speak with us all."
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The all sat together at the table in Sango's kitchen. The mood was somber, and Inuyasha was silently brooding over the situation. Stupid girl, I can't believe she shattered the Shikon Jewel. If those jewel shards get into the wrong hands we're all in trouble. He stared at the single jewel shard that sat on the table in front of him. It was hard for him, a half demon, to not be tempted by the power of a single jewel shard, but he knew better. Inuyasha turned his attention o Kaede, however when she spoke,
"We have a serious situation on our hands," said Kaede. "We must recover the as many jewel shards as possible before Naraku gets his hands on them. If Naraku makes the jewel whole again, it would prove to be disastrous."
"Feh, how do we do that when genius over here decided to shatter the jewel?" mocked Inuyasha as he referred to Kagome.
The girl felt her anger rise and her cheeks turn red. She looked directly at him. "You were the one who told me to shoot aim for the jewel when I shot my arrow! How as I supposed to know it would shatter?"
"Whatever," retorted Inuyasha.
"You are so infuriating! I have been nothing but nice to you and all you have been doing is treating me like a fool!"
"Kagome, calm down child," interrupted. "Really the two of you are going to have to learn to get along if you are going to work together to recover the jewel shards."
"Work together…with her?" exclaimed Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha," said Miroku, "In case you didn't notice, Kagome is the only one who will even be able to sense the jewel shards. We need her help and her spiritual power."
"That also means that Naraku will be after Kagome doesn't it Kaede?" put in Shippou.
Kaede nodded.
"Which means," added Sango, "it will be our duty to protect Kagome from Naraku."
Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Inuyasha," said Kaede, "I believe I have something that will help you and Kagome get along better." The old woman withdrew a pair rosary beads from her kimono sleeve. She stood and placed them over Inuyasha's head so that they rested around his neck.
"What are these?" asked Inuyasha.
"Thos beads will allow Kagome to control you with a single word."
"What?" said Inuyasha. He struggled to take the beads off from around his neck but was dismayed when they shocked him. "Ouch! Hey what's the big idea, Kaede? Don't you trust me or something?" he struggled with the beads only to be shocked again.
"Subjugation beads," said Miroku as he laughed, "boy this should get interesting."
"You need to learn to get along," said Kaede. "And it would not hurt you to learn some humility, Inuyasha." She turned to face the young girl. "Now Kagome, all you have to do it think of one word to control Inuyasha. Anytime you say this word, he will have to obey it."
"Any word?" asked Kagome.
Kaede nodded.
Kagome thought for a moment. What word could she use? She looked at Inuyasha. He was glaring at her. She smiled wickedly. Inuyasha was a dog demon, that's what Sango had said. Very well, let the games begin. "SIT!" she cried. Inuyasha went crashing face first into the floor.
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AN: Hey I hope you all enjoyed it! Im going to post another chapter ASAP, but please review more cuz I need to know if Im doing a good job!